In looking over this book the reader will notice certain
receipts marked thus—✠. I do not claim for these greater
merit than should of right be accorded to many others. I
merely wish to call the attention of the novice to them as
certainly safe, and for the most part simple. Every one
thus marked has been tried by myself; most of them are in
frequent, some in daily use, in my own family.
My reason for thus singling out comparatively a small number
of receipts from the rest, is the recollection of my own
perplexities—the loss of time and patience to which I have
been subjected in the examination of a new cookery-book,
with an eye to immediate use of the directions laid down
for various dishes. I have often and vainly wished for a
finger-board to guide me in my search for those which were
easy and sure, and which would result satisfactorily. This
sort of directory I have endeavored to supply, taking care,
however, to inform the reader in advance that, so far as I
know, there is not an unsafe receipt in the whole work.
Of course it was not necessary or expedient to append the
above sign to plain “roast and boiled,” which are in common
use everywhere.